NRF Foundation is thrilled to welcome Longwood University as a new College Partner and member of our Retail Careers Community! I had the pleasure of meeting several faculty members from Longwood awhile back, and was really excited to hear about their retail programs (so much so that I’m tempted to go back to school…).

To better share the exciting programs and activities of our College and University Partners, we’re going to start profiling them here, on our Retail Careers Blog. To kick things off, I interviewed Paul Barrett, Dean at Longwood University, to hear his perspectives on challenges facing the retail industry and the importance of continuing education.

When NRF Foundation met with you and other faculty members from Longwood University a month ago, there was discussion about “professionalizing” the retail industry. Can you share your thoughts on that?

Today’s retailing ranges from small locally owned/operated to large, international stores with massive annual sales.  Retailers face a challenging environment – economic, technological, global and demographic changes mean they need to develop their skill sets in order to thrive.  They must be analytical and possess the business savvy to turn information into useful insight.  Tomorrow’s retail leaders must be professionals who are well grounded  in sales, logistics, customer service/relationships, human resource management, multi-channel marketing, international relations, government affairs…and more.

Are these reasons why someone should have an advanced degree in retail? What are other benefits?

The world is a knowledge-based economy – a place where data is typically available; however, the skills of interpretation, strategic application and plan execution become the differentiators of success.  Undergraduate degree programs can develop great managers, but exposure to advanced thinking and results driven analysis through a Retail MBA program will take the industry to the next level.  “All things are never equal”, but an advanced degree in retail can equip tomorrow’s thought leaders with the tools of global leadership.

Longwood University is currently enrolling candidates for its online Retail Management MBA. Is the future of education online?

Education likely will always offer various learning method however, we believe that advanced learning needs to fit the lifestyle and mobility requirements of tomorrow’s retail leaders who will be based all over the world.  So, our program is principally an online MBA offering combined with three required long-weekend residencies on Longwood’s campus.

Students will meet on campus once at the beginning, middle, and end of their program.  This allows them to meet each other and the faculty, to be introduced to the content they will encounter during the MBA program, and to understand the passage they will be undertaking as a class.

In addition, students will benefit from working with visiting retail practitioners during each residency. The on-campus residencies enable the students to develop a sense of community and support – an important aspect as they work together through this rigorous program.

The rest of the MBA program will be done from the student’s home location on the Internet.  The combination of online classes and on-campus residencies gives students flexibility, while at the same time providing students with a sense of belonging to the Longwood MBA community.

You’ve discussed Longwood’s concept of infusing ethics in all business courses, rather than just offering a course in ethics. Can you talk more about that?

In the past almost all business schools offered or required ethics as a single course.  Longwood is integrating ethics into all of its business courses through instruction, case work, guest lectures, and more.  And, because we believe we have a responsibility to model ethics for our students, the College of Business and Economics has adopted its own Values statement.  Our 7 Values guide our conduct in areas such as integrity, accountability, respect, communication, and teamwork.

Logistics and supply chain are crucial aspects of retail. I understand Longwood has a strong logistics and supply chain program. Can you share some highlights of this program?

Actually, we are developing two more supply chain / logistics courses to complete a concentration in logistics in our online MBA program. We expect this new concentration to be open for business in the summer of 2011.  Supply chain management is one of the underpinnings of any successful retail operation.  Global supply chain management for the successful retail operation is marketing, engineering, management information systems and operations management.  Our program will interweave all of these disciplines into a common process for professionals who are working hard in today’s complex world of supply chain management.

Our online MBA in logistics will provide a unique focus on “green,” and LEED and bottleneck-reducing programs. Our modeling and simulation research will become a terrific platform for the future success of both government and commercial stakeholders.

Can you share more about your background? Any retail experience there?

Sure. I am a past CEO/Principal of a company specializing in computerized accounting systems for the fast food industry. Client firms included Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Roy Rogers, Taco Bell and Boardwalk Fries. I am also a past Business Development Manager/Principal for one of the largest Hewlett Packard dealers in the U.S.  Both of these entrepreneurial experiences were laced with retail selling activities.  And after these experiences I had my first book published entitled “Business $ense – The Practical Guide to Business Success” and entered the world of business consulting. For more than 15 years I worked as an Executive Coach and Business, Financial and Tax Counselor to a wide variety of Commercial and Professional / Executive Clients. If all of this wasn’t enough, for some crazy reason I went back to school and completed my PhD in Organizational Leadership in 2006.  I wanted to teach a little and give back to the next generation some of the lessons I had learned.  And here I am at the Business School at Longwood University.

What is your favorite retail course to teach, and why? If it isn’t ethics, we won’t hold it against you.

Without a doubt, my favorite class is the consulting practicum that our students complete during their last semester. This course prepares our students for the real world by providing an opportunity to apply the technical and professional skills learned in the classroom to a real life retail situation.  It is more than just an internship though.  As students consult with their client organization, the faculty and client business executives collaborate to enhance the educational experience.  As a result of this course, our students graduate understanding how to apply the theories learned in the classroom to their jobs.